Stroudsburg council in limbo on Allen

Neil Allen's seat was empty at Wednesday night's Stroudsburg Borough council meeting, three days after the council's vice president was charged with heroin possession in downtown Stroudsburg.

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By CAMILO SMITH

poconorecord.com

By CAMILO SMITH

Posted Mar. 21, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By CAMILO SMITH

Posted Mar. 21, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

Neil Allen's seat was empty at Wednesday night's Stroudsburg Borough council meeting, three days after the council's vice president was charged with heroin possession in downtown Stroudsburg.

While his absence wasn't officially addressed, one person at the meeting demanded that action be taken in the wake of the heroin charge Allen is expected to answer to in district court.

"It's getting awful," said East Stroudsburg resident Monica Oney about public official misconduct in the state.

Stroudsburg Council President Kim Diddio and borough attorney Ralph A. Matergia responded to Oney's outcry against Allen during the public comments portion of the meeting.

Diddio would only say that the council hadn't made any decision, and wasn't sure what would happen to the council vice president. "We've not heard from Mr. Allen," she said.

"I don't think anybody here has seen any of the information that would constitute process. He certainly has not been convicted. He's entitled to his day in court," Matergia said.

The borough's attorney called it too early to speculate on what choices Allen or the council would make in the matter. Matergia said that under Pennsylvania constitution, Allen's alleged crime may not fall under what's required for removal of an elected official. "Council has no basis to take any action," he said.

"I've lived here my whole life," said Oney, 63. "Why can people get away with this?"

Oney said she's known Allen since he was a child. "I never thought that he could take drugs," she said. "I think he should go to jail and get help."